In our Anecdotal Evidence column, movers and shakers share personal stories of how intriguing (and often odd) presidential campaigning in their respective swing state can be.
Dante Scala – Author and Political Scientist at the University of New Hampshire
Dante Scala. Photo: Lars Gesing/CU News Corps
“Once upon a time there was this rock formation up in the north of New Hampshire, called “The Old Man of the Mountain.” It resembled the face of an old man. My wife and I moved here in 1999. One night, a few years later, the old man fell. People woke up the next day, looked out and it was gone. It had been held together with the equivalent of tape for years and eventually just gave way.
“I remember how my wife and I were a little puzzled by the mourning period that took place in New Hampshire over the loss of this rock formation. But we were newcomers. It was an essential part of the state’s identity.
“If we ever lost the primary, it would be like losing the old man.”
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